He died tragically young, and his career as a designer lasted little more than 10 years. But through the 1960s, Joe Colombo proved himself one of the field’s most provocative and original thinkers, and he produced a remarkably large array of innovative chairs, table lamps and other lighting and furniture as well as product designs. Even today, the creations of Joe Colombo have the power to surprise.
Cesare “Joe” Colombo was born in Milan, the son of an electrical-components manufacturer. He was a creative child — he loved to build huge structures from Meccano pieces — and in college he studied painting and sculpture before switching to architecture.
In the early 1950s, Colombo made and exhibited paintings and sculptures as part of an art movement that responded to the new Nuclear Age, and futuristic thinking would inform his entire career. He took up design not long after his father fell ill in 1958, and he and his brother, Gianni, were called upon to run the family company.
Colombo expanded the business to include the making of plastics — a primary material in almost all his later designs. One of his first, made in collaboration with his brother, was the Acrilica table lamp (1962), composed of a wave-shaped piece of clear acrylic resin that diffused light cast by a bulb concealed in the lamp’s metal base. A year later, Colombo produced his best-known furniture design, the Elda armchair (1963): a modernist wingback chair with a womb-like plastic frame upholstered in thick leather pads.
Portability and adaptability were keynotes of many Colombo designs, made for a more mobile society in which people would take their living environments with them. One of his most striking pieces is the Tube chair (1969). It comprises four foam-padded plastic cylinders that fit inside one another. The components, which are held together by metal clips, can be configured in a variety of seating shapes (his Additional Living System seating is similarly versatile).
Vintage Tube chairs generally sell for about $9,000 in good condition; Elda chairs for about $7,000. A small Colombo design such as the plastic Boby trolley — an office organizer on wheels, designed in 1970 — is priced in the range of $700.
As Colombo intended, his designs are best suited to a modern decor. If your tastes run to sleek, glossy Space Age looks, the work of Joe Colombo offers you a myriad of choices.
Find vintage Joe Colombo lamps, seating and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
$4,213Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joe Colombo Floor Lamp 'Coupé 3320' Black by Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Floor lamp 'Coupé 3320' designed by Joe Colombo in 1967. Floor lamp giving direct light, metal lacquered base and structure, revolving and height adjustable chromium-plated arc, lacq...
Metal, Aluminum
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 6 Drawers in Cumin for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size S with 2 Drawers in Red for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
$1,872Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joe Colombo Black Metal Table Lamp 'The Globe' by Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table lamp "The Globe" designed by Victor Vaisilev in 1964. Table lamp giving direct and diffused light in trasparent blown glass. Metal base and structure. Manufactured by Oluce, It...
Metal
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 2 Drawers in Black for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 5 Drawers in White for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 4 Drawers in Red for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
$1,423Sale Price / item|20% Off
Domo Table Lamps by Joe Colombo: Mid-Century Modern Italian Design
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Domo Table Lamp by Joe Colombo The Domo lamp was originally designed by Italian designer Joe Colombo in 1965. Back then he designed three lamps based ...
Steel
Italian modern black plastic storage trolley Boby Joe Colombo Bieffeplast, 1970s
By Bieffeplast, Joe Colombo
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern black plastic storage trolley Boby Joe Colombo Bieffeplast, 1970s Storage cart mod. Boby in black plastic. The trolley has a rectangular base, has many compartments, w...
Metal
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 3 Drawers in Black for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 4 Drawers in Black for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Kvadrat Fabric by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Upholst...
Fabric, Wood
Joe Colombo, Desk Lampe, 1974
By Joe Colombo
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Joe Colombo - desk Lampe, 1974 White Size: 75 H x 19 x 19 490 Euros.
Metal
$1,250Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joe Colombo Suspension Lamp 'The Globe' Large Nickel by Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Suspension lamp 'The Globe' designed by Joe Colombo in 1964. Suspension lamp giving direct and diffused light in transparent blown glass. Manufactured by Oluce, Italy. The Globe is ...
Metal
$5,407 / item
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his funct...
Wood
5-in-1 Drinking Glass Set by Joe Colombo, Mouth-Blown Crystal, Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
5-in-1 Drinking Glass set by Joe Colombo, 1970 Italian industrial designer Joe Colombo pursued a career in painting and sculpture before he transiti...
Crystal
$2,613 / item
Coupe Wall Lamp ‘1158’ by Joe Colombo for Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Coupe wall lamp (1158) designed by Joe Colombo for Oluce. Elegance defined by form following function is exemplified in this beautiful fixture. A round black plate is attached to the...
Aluminum, Metal
$5,407 / item
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Upholstered...
Wood
Joe Colombo, Table Lamp, Acrylic, Italy, 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in High Point, NC
A white and orange acrylic table lamp designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Kartell, Italy, c. 1960s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 5.6” H x 4.6” Diameter Bulb Specifications: E-1...
Acrylic
Joe Colombo Chair 300 by Karakter - Solid Oak, Mid-Century Design
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Upholstered...
Wood
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 4 Drawers in White for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size S with 3 Drawers in Black for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Model #2202 'Coupé' Table Lamp in Black for Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo Model #2202 'Coupé' table lamp in black for Oluce. Originally designed in 1967, this is one of the most refined Minimalist Italian designs of the midcentury and an icon for Colombo. A highly adjustable table light, the shade can be rotated up/down and right/left. Executed in a lacquered metal base, chromium-plated stem and an adjustable reflector in lacquered aluminum, this iconic lamp is still made by Oluce in Italy using many of the original manufacturing techniques with scrupulous attention to detail, materials, and craftsmanship. The Coupé series was initially conceived as a variation of the Spider family, of which it has kept its base and stem. The simple, ingenious mechanism that connects the stem to the head makes it possible to direct the beam in several directions, by moving the dome up, down, and sideways. In 1968, Coupé won the ”International Design Award” of the American Institute of Interior Designers in Chicago. It is part of the permanent collection at both the MoMA in New York and the ”Neue Sammlung” Museum in Munich. Price is per item. Available to order in unlimited quantities in choice of scarlet red or black. The Coupé is also available as a smaller Mini Coupé 'Model 2201' table lamp, a wall lamp 'Model 1158...
Metal, Chrome, Aluminum
Joe Colombo Chair 300 by Karakter, Wood, Mid-Century Modern Design, Denmark
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Uphol...
Wood
$1,020Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of Two Joe Colombo Mini Coupe Table Lamps by Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Set of Two Table Lamps model Mini Coupe designed by Joe Colombo. Table lamp giving direct light, lacquered metal base, chromium-plated stem, adjustable reflector in lacquered alumini...
Metal
Joe Colombo Mid-Century Modern Italian Table Lamp, 1960s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Lamp designed by Joe Colombo, in ivory lacquered aluminum and structure in chromed and black metal.
Aluminum, Chrome
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size L with 5 Drawers in Tornado Grey for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size S with 3 Drawers in Cumin for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
$1,207Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joe Colombo Suspension Lamp 'the Globe' Large Gold by Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Suspension lamp 'The Globe' designed by Joe Colombo in 1964. Suspension lamp giving direct and diffused light in transparent blown glass. Manufactured by Oluce, Italy. The Globe is ...
Metal
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size S with 2 Drawers in Black for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo White Vintage Plastic Boby High Portable Storage Container, Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Vienna, AT
White vintage 3 high portable storage container designed by Joe Colombo in 1969, Italy and executed by Bieffeplast, Padova, Italy. The white Joe Colom...
Plastic
$2,907 / item
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his funct...
Wood
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 6 Drawers in Tornado Grey for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size L with 4 Drawers in Tornado Grey for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Set of Six Joe Colombo 'Sferico' Glass Tableware by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Glass tableware designed by Joe Colombo in 1968. Joe Colombo believed in democratic and functional design. In his lifetime he designed a wide ran...
Glass
Set of Two Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Upholst...
Leather, Wood
$3,183Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joe Colombo Wall Lamp 'Coupé' White by Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Wall lamp 'Coupé' designed by Joe Colombo in 1967. Adjustable rotating metal wall lamp giving direct and reflected light. Manufactured by Oluce, Italy. The Coupé series, designed b...
Metal, Aluminum
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size L with 6 Drawers in Cumin for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size L with 6 Drawers in Tornado Grey for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size L with 4 Drawers in Cumin for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Colombo 885 ceiling lamp by Joe Colombo for Oluce, 1970s.
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Athens, Attiki
In 1970, the “Colombo”, named after its designer, the great Joe Colombo, was the first domestic light with a halogen light bulb and its design came in response to the invention of th...
Metal, Stainless Steel
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 3 Drawers in Tornado Grey for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size S with 3 Drawers in Tornado Grey for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 2 Drawers in Tornado Grey for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 2 Drawers in White for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Set of Six Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Kvadrat Fabric by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Upholst...
Fabric, Wood
$1,217Sale Price / item|20% Off
Domo Floor Lamp by Joe Colombo, Steel, Mid-Century Modern Design
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Domo Floor Lamp by Joe Colombo The Domo lamp was originally designed by Italian designer Joe Colombo in 1965. Back then he designed three lamps based ...
Steel
$636Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joe Colombo Riscio Table Lamp, Steel, Mid-Century Modern Design, Denmark
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table lamp designed by Joe Colombo in 1968. With its sleek yet optimistic clarity of form; a light, triangular shade seemingly floating off a weighty cylindric base, Italian design...
Steel
Desk lamp "Shu" or "Elmo" by Joe Colombo
By Joe Colombo
Located in Vlimmeren, BE
This very rare table or desk lamp was designed by Joe Colombo in 1971 and manufactured by Forma & Funzione in Italy. This lamp is known as “Shu”, “Elmo” or “Yo Yo”, due to the po...
Metal
$3,652Sale Price / set|20% Off
Domo Floor Lamps by Joe Colombo, Steel, Mid-Century Modern Design
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Domo Floor Lamp by Joe Colombo The Domo lamp was originally designed by Italian designer Joe Colombo in 1965. Back then he designed three lamps based ...
Steel
$1,217Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joe Colombo 'Coupé' Table Lamp, White Metal, Mid-Century Modern
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table lamp 'Coupé' designed by Joe Colombo in 1967. Table lamp giving direct light, lacquered metal base, chromium-plated stem, adjustable reflector in lacquered aluminium. Manufactu...
Metal, Aluminum
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Articulating Floor Lamp for Stilnovo in Red
By Stilnovo, Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Articulating Floor Lamp for Stilnovo in Red. Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midcentury e...
Steel
Elda Armchair, Joe Colombo for Conforti, white leather, 1975
By Joe Colombo
Located in Milano, Lombardia
The Elda Armchair, designed by Joe Colombo for Comfort Italia in 1963, is an icon of modern design. Featuring an avant-garde and futuristic design, this armchair offers extraordinary...
Leather, Fiberglass
Set of Four Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Uphols...
Leather, Wood
Set of Six Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Kvadrat Fabric by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Upholst...
Fabric, Wood
Joe Colombo Chair 300 by Karakter - Solid Oak, Mid-Century Design
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Upholstered...
Wood
$1,217Sale Price / item|20% Off
Domo Floor Lamp by Joe Colombo, Steel, Mid-Century Modern Design, Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Domo Floor Lamp by Joe Colombo The Domo lamp was originally designed by Italian designer Joe Colombo in 1965. Back then he designed three lamps based ...
Steel
$711Sale Price / item|20% Off
Domo Table Lamp by Joe Colombo, Steel & Brass, Mid-Century Modern Design
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Domo Table Lamp by Joe Colombo The Domo lamp was originally designed by Italian designer Joe Colombo in 1965. Back then he designed three lamps based ...
Steel
$1,315Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joe Colombo 'Coupé' Floor Lamp by Oluce, Lacquered Metal, Italy
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
This stunning 'Coupé' floor lamp was designed by the legendary Joe Colombo in 1967 and is manufactured by Oluce, the oldest Italian design company in ...
Metal, Aluminum
$959Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joe Colombo 'Spider' Table Lamp by Oluce, Black Metal, Mid-Century
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table lamp 'Spider' designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. Table lamp giving direct light, lacquered metal base, chromium-plated stem, adjustable reflector in lacquered aluminium. Manufa...
Metal